Ahrefs begins at $108 a month, which provides as much as about $1,200 a 12 months for a plan designed for small companies. In case you’re a contract search engine marketing marketing consultant or run an enterprise, you may be shelling out wherever between $2,400 to $14,990 per 12 months.
Having used Ahrefs for almost eight years throughout freelance and full-time content material advertising roles, I perceive why you would possibly select it over different search engine marketing instruments. Ahrefs has come a good distance since its days as a link-building device ten years again. As we speak, it packs loads of options like website audit, AI content material grader, and Pages 2.0 report.
However let’s handle the large query: is Ahrefs value it? Spoiler alert: I gained’t provide the traditional ‘it relies upon’ reply we frequently hear in most search engine marketing and content material advertising conversations.
For context, some customers famous a 29% value enhance earlier this 12 months, which most likely makes you concentrate on potential future value hikes. On the flip aspect, Ahrefs launched a extra inexpensive Starter plan, which provides you 100 credit for $29 each month.
Whilst you can proceed utilizing their free webmaster instruments, what must you consider when contemplating an improve? Proceed studying my deep dive for these very solutions.
Ahrefs ranks #14 in line with G2’s Fall 2024 Grid Report for search engine marketing instruments. Consumers are inspired to think about particular person wants when making buy choices.
Ahrefs: Paid vs. free search engine marketing instruments
Skip this part in the event you aren’t new to search engine marketing.
Ahrefs doesn’t supply a free trial. Evaluating Ahrefs’ free search engine marketing instruments with the paid variations isn’t actually honest. Many of the free instruments they provide are for easy duties freshmen might discover helpful. However in the event you’re hoping to get severe work finished, these free instruments gained’t take you far.
| Options | Free Instruments | Paid Plan |
| Dashboard | ||
| Website explorer | ||
| Key phrase explorer | ||
| Website audit | ||
| Rank tracker | ||
| Aggressive evaluation | ||
| SERP historical past | ||
| Web page examine |
Ahrefs gives eight free search engine marketing instruments:
- Key phrase generator: Generate as much as 20 key phrases
- Key phrase problem checker: Consider how exhausting it’s to rank for a selected key phrase
- SERP checker: Have a look at the SERP overview of the primary 4 outcomes
- Key phrase rank checker: Verify in case your web site ranks within the prime 100 for a particular key phrase
- Backlink checker: See the area ranking of your web site and the full variety of backlinks
- Damaged hyperlink checker: Discover the variety of damaged hyperlinks in your web site
- Web site authority checker: Verify your web site’s authority
- Web site site visitors checker: See your web site’s natural site visitors and site visitors worth
As you may see, these instruments are fairly restricted. That stated, Ahrefs Webmaster Instruments offers web site house owners restricted free entry to website explorer and website audit options. Let’s get to the great half and see if the paid plans are value your cash.
Are Ahrefs options definitely worth the value? What G2 customers suppose
G2 customers admire Ahrefs’ website explorer, backlink checker, aggressive evaluation, key phrase explorer, website audit, and alternatives options. I completely agree—these options are a goldmine for search engine marketing and content material advertising professionals who want knowledge to determine what’s working, what isn’t, and what wants fixing. Let’s see how these options can assist you:
Website explorer
That is the part the place you land after logging into Ahrefs. Website explorer analyzes an internet site’s natural site visitors, complete key phrases, and backlinks. The perfect a part of this characteristic is that it compiles all this search engine marketing knowledge right into a single dashboard.
One factor I actually like about website explorer is the way it offers location-specific site visitors insights. Plus, I can join these insights with content material modifications and algorithm updates, proven by inexperienced circles and “a” symbols on the timeline.
Website explorer additionally reveals you natural key phrases by intent, lists your prime natural rivals, and categorizes crawled pages with their HTTP codes.
What G2 customers are saying:
“Ahrefs gives loads of options with an abundance of information to assist higher evaluation, such because the Website Explorer device to see the place a website stands in its general efficiency, the Key phrase Explorer device to search out trending low competitors key phrases to work on, the Website Audit characteristic to audit how efficient the efforts are and to determine gaps, and the Rank Tracker device to see how the positioning is performing compared to rivals.”
– Ahrefs Evaluation, Jayant G., Search Engine Optimization Analyst
Backlink checker
The Backlink checker does what it says; it reveals you the entire backlink profile of an internet site.
Most search engine marketing instruments supply one thing comparable, however I just like the number of filters you should utilize right here. For instance, you may filter backlinks by sorts, DR of internet sites from the place they arrive, site visitors of referring domains, anchor textual content, and even by date vary.
What G2 customers are saying:
“I can not not point out the backlink profile. This device is great for checking the standard and amount of backlinks each for my web site and my rivals. Seeing the hyperlink progress over time, the highest referring domains, and the general backlink profile helps me fine-tune my link-building methods.”
– Ahrefs Evaluation, Sanjay G., Content material Technique Head
Aggressive evaluation
This characteristic helps with a content material hole evaluation of your web site by evaluating what your rivals rank for versus what you don’t. Enter your web site’s area and one or two competitor URLs to get began.
The content material hole report gives a ton of information, however you could know why you’re doing the aggressive evaluation within the first place. That’s when you should utilize the totally different filters like SERP options, key phrase problem, key phrase, and search quantity in the best approach.
For instance, if I’m engaged on a featured snippet mission, it is smart to trace which key phrases my rivals use to drive site visitors from featured snippets and AI overviews (AIOs). I’m not saying you must write utilizing these key phrases. But when you have already got content material concentrating on them, it could be value optimizing them to rank for featured snippets or AIOs.
Key phrase explorer
That is maybe probably the most generally used device by freshmen and execs alike. Key phrase analysis device helps you to analyze key phrases, their search volumes, CPC, CTR, and the historical past of SERP positions.
I like how Ahrefs has advanced over the previous few years to offer extra key phrase knowledge. You may filter key phrases by guardian matter, examine how their search volumes have modified during the last 12 months, see their site visitors potential, and even assess their intent.
One other standout characteristic for me is the flexibility to match right now’s SERP with what it appeared like three or six months in the past. It really works nice while you’re making an attempt to determine whether or not your article site visitors has dropped resulting from intent shifts or competitor developments.
It’s also possible to use AI to search out ache factors, technical ideas, and subtopics associated to your subjects.
Key phrase explorer helps discover knowledge on particular key phrases however doesn’t routinely uncover new key phrases to focus on.
What G2 customers are saying:
“I like how Key phrase Explorer offers the key phrase with its problem and click on ratio. Click on ratio is essential for us; it is the true metric that helps us perceive whether or not to make it a main or secondary key phrase.”
– Ahrefs Evaluation, Nitin R., Vice President search engine marketing
Website audit
Ahrefs’ website audit options crawls and scans your web site pages for over 170 technical and on-page points, together with core internet vitals, indexability, social tags, redirects, and JS/CSS points. Ultimately, you get a well being rating that reveals the proportion of error-free inside URLs in your website. You additionally get suggestions on fixing technical and on-page search engine marketing points.
My tackle it? You don’t must be in technical search engine marketing to get probably the most out of the positioning audit characteristic. I not too long ago used the positioning audit to search out and repair pages with damaged hyperlinks and 404 errors as a part of an interlinking mission.
What G2 customers are saying:
“I’ve by no means seen such an in-depth but easy-to-understand breakdown of my web site’s well being. From efficiency points to damaged hyperlinks, from safety points to content material high quality, Ahrefs’ website audit device offers me an in depth report with recommendations for fixes. It is virtually like having a private search engine marketing marketing consultant!”
– Ahrefs Evaluation, Sanjay G., Content material Technique Head
Alternatives
Once you enter an internet site URL in Website Explorer, you’ll come throughout the Alternatives characteristic on the left panel. This part reveals you low-hanging fruit key phrases, featured snippet alternatives, content material with declining site visitors, and a lot extra.
This characteristic turns out to be useful after I wish to rapidly consider totally different alternatives earlier than pursuing them.
Sufficient about the great things; let’s have a look at the place Ahrefs falls quick.
Three the explanation why G2 customers dislike Ahrefs
The notorious credit score system, together with excessive pricing and poor buyer help, appears to be the highest the explanation why G2 customers dislike Ahrefs. Let’s break these down.
Credit score system
Ahrefs tracks knowledge utilization with credit. All instruments besides Website Audit and Rank Tracker eat 1 credit score while you entry studies, apply filters, or request new knowledge. Standalone instruments like Batch Evaluation, Web page Examine, and Looker Studio additionally use credit while you entry them.
All pricing plans, besides the Lite plan, include limitless credit. On the Lite plan, you rise up to 500 credit per consumer every month, and in the event you go over that restrict, you’ll be charged further.
For customers on the Lite plan, further credit price:
- $50 per 500 credit (pay-as-you-go), billed month-to-month
- $300 yearly to prepay for 500 further credit every month
Many customers aren’t huge followers of this credit score system, particularly companies managing a number of accounts.
What G2 customers are saying:
“The credit score system just isn’t perfect for company customers. I’ve a yearly subscription of $1990, however it might price me an extra $500 to $600 per 30 days, leading to a complete price of round $8000 per 12 months. With this price range, there are numerous different choices accessible out there. It would not price as a lot even when I select to make use of 2 to three instruments concurrently.”
– Ahrefs Evaluation, Yannick X., Small Enterprise
Excessive costs
Customers discover Ahrefs’ pricing fashions complicated due to the credit score system. Some have additionally famous that Ahrefs’ costs are comparatively greater than these of different search engine marketing instruments accessible in the marketplace.
What G2 customers are saying:
“It is pricing is all the time altering. After being compelled emigrate from a legacy account, I migrated to a dearer plan. After a number of weeks of utilizing it, I spotted I could not use to device anymore as a result of I hit my utilization restrict. That restrict? 600 occasions a month.
I’ve by no means used a device that’s this costly and has a primary utilization restrict. I pay over $2,000 a 12 months to be closely restricted within the utilization of the device. How am I anticipated to drive worth and be taught new options and functionalities of the device if I can not even use it to the day-to-day requirement stage?”
– Ahrefs Evaluation, Levi O., Affiliate Director, Content material Advertising and marketing
Poor buyer help
Customers additionally cite an absence of empathetic customer support as another excuse they dislike Ahrefs. Some evaluations level out that customers couldn’t attain their CSMs after they wanted assist.
What G2 customers are saying:
“In case you made your account over two weeks in the past, you might be locked out of latest options underneath the identical plan on the identical value. The woman from the stay chat insisted the one strategy to repair it was to cancel our account and begin a brand new one.
That is insane. Are new options being locked out from present subscribers on the identical stage? At earlier positions, I used to be ready to make use of the beta model of latest options. Now, I can not even get what I paid for.
Customer support was of completely no assist. Simply the identical circles again and again. And after I tried to achieve out to the help e-mail, it simply took me to the identical precise one that refused to assist us.”
– Ahrefs Evaluation, Brandon S., Search Engine Optimization Supervisor
Ahrefs pricing
Ahrefs gives 4 pricing choices: Lite, Normal, Superior, and Enterprise.
- Lite plan prices you $1,290 per 12 months or $129 per 30 days in the event you select to pay month-to-month. It options six months of historical past, 500 credit per consumer, and 750 tracked key phrases.
- Normal plan prices $2,490 per 12 months or $249 when paid month-to-month. It contains 20 initiatives, two years of historical past, limitless credit, and a couple of,000 tracked key phrases.
- Superior plan prices $4,490 per 12 months or $449 per 30 days. It options 5 years of historical past, limitless credit, 50 initiatives, and 5,000 tracked key phrases.
- Enterprise plan prices $14,990 yearly. This plan offers you 100 initiatives, limitless historical past, limitless credit, and 10,000 tracked key phrases.
What Ahrefs options do G2 customers advocate?
Whereas Ahrefs continues to be a preferred alternative amongst content material advertising and search engine marketing professionals, G2 customers additionally advocate instruments like Google Search Console, Semrush, Moz Professional, and SE Rating.
Ahrefs: Regularly requested questions (FAQs)
Q. Does Ahrefs supply a free trial?
No, Ahrefs doesn’t supply a free trial, which may make it difficult for brand spanking new customers to find out whether or not it’s the best match for them.
Q. Is Ahrefs free?
Ahrefs isn’t a free search engine marketing device. Nevertheless, web site house owners can entry Ahrefs Webmaster instruments like Website Explorer and Website Audit at no cost.
Q. Is Ahrefs correct?
In line with a research carried out by AuthorityHacker, Ahrefs has a median discrepancy of twenty-two.5% and 0.99 correlation with Google Search Console (GSC) knowledge. This reveals that Ahrefs’ high quality of search site visitors estimations is at par with GSC.
Q. Ahrefs vs. Semrush: What must you select?
In case you’re simply value, Ahrefs comes out cheaper in the event you pay yearly. Semrush prices $117.33 a month, whereas Ahrefs prices $108 per 30 days on a yearly plan.
Ahrefs gives in-depth backlink evaluation, content material hole identification, and key phrase analysis, whereas Semrush offers sturdy options for search engine marketing, PPC, social media administration, and aggressive evaluation. I really feel Ahrefs fits content material entrepreneurs centered on natural progress, whereas Semrush is greatest for companies managing a number of elements of digital advertising.
Q. Moz vs. Ahrefs: Which is best for search engine marketing?
Moz is cheaper than Ahrefs. On a yearly plan, Ahrefs prices $108 per 30 days, whereas Moz begins at simply $39 per 30 days. Whereas each search engine marketing instruments give attention to Google, Moz additionally offers you with knowledge from search engines like google and yahoo like Yahoo and Bing.
A 2022 research by Tylor Hermanson and his staff discovered Ahrefs ranked for twice as many key phrases as Semrush, which itself had greater than double the key phrases of Moz. For Tylor’s shoppers, Ahrefs delivered almost 5 occasions the quantity of rating key phrases in comparison with Moz.
Q. Is Ahrefs costly?
Ahrefs and Moz supply comparable entry-level pricing. Semrush’s entry-level plan is barely greater at $117.33 per 30 days. I might advocate focusing in your particular wants and price range whereas evaluating Ahrefs with different search engine marketing instruments.
Q. Is Ahrefs protected?
Ahrefs is protected for bettering web site visibility and natural site visitors. Nevertheless, relying on the bank card you utilize, it could ask for the final 4 digits of your Social Safety quantity while you create an account. This may be a problem in the event you’re utilizing an organization card.
Is Ahrefs value it or overrated? My trustworthy take
I promised I wouldn’t provide the traditional “it relies upon” reply. So, let’s minimize to the chase: Ahrefs is definitely worth the funding if it aligns along with your targets and staff construction.
Any funding in content material advertising instruments is barely worthwhile if it helps you enhance the metrics that matter most to your enterprise.
So, right here’s what you must ask your self: who in your staff will really use Ahrefs, and the way? In case your reply doesn’t contain a minimum of two individuals, you could be higher off sticking with Google Search Console and Google Key phrase Planner.
However in the event you’re enthusiastic about getting Ahrefs for a staff of writers, content material strategists, and search engine marketing specialists, you’ve bought to ask your self a number of questions. Is your staff aligned on targets to completely profit from Ahrefs’ choices? Do you want complete knowledge past what free instruments present? Do you have got the price range to help a long-term subscription? Do you have got the metrics to measure success with Ahrefs? Can Ahrefs combine easily into your present workflow?
In case you answered sure to the entire above, go for it! But when price range is a sticking level, loads of options supply comparable aggressive insights that can assist you drive search engine marketing outcomes.
Take a look at six AIO methods that your search engine marketing and content material advertising staff can use to drive site visitors to your web site.
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